<B>WEBSTER CITY, Iowa --</B> This Memorial Day Weekend is definitely gonna be one to remember!

With the first swing of 10 races in the books, the road warriors of the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series are cracking their knuckles and licking their chops as they get ready to strap in for six blockbuster events over the next five days.

Defending and six-time O’Reilly USMTS national champ Kelly Shryock of Fertile, Iowa, secured the first "championship within a championship" of the 2005 season by topping the points for the Wander's Automotive Swing #1. In addition to more than $15,000 in winnings so far, Shryock pocketed another $1,000 for taking the Swing #1 title on the strength of four wins.

This Thursday, the O’Reilly USMTS teams will kick off the first of five straight days of racing, as well as the launch of the Pro-Line Buildings Swing #2. While drivers will continue to hunt the rigorous season-long national championship, all competitors will start the points chase for the second swing of 10 races with a big, fat "goose egg." The champion of Pro-Line Buildings Swing #2 will earn $1,000, with additional points fund monies also on the line.

"The O’Reilly USMTS is the most demanding tour in America for Modified teams," said Series president Todd Staley. "By breaking the season into four 10-race swings and the 16-race AFCO Challenge, the local and regional racers can take their shot at a points championship without having to travel the entire tour all season long. By taking in just one or two swings, a driver can race against the best of the best in Modified racing for more prize money and a larger points fund than you'll find at almost any weekly Modified track for an entire season's worth of work."

The Memorial Day Weekend juggernaut gets started on Thursday, May 26, with the first and only visit of the season to the Park Jefferson Speedway in Jefferson, S.D. for the Harris Auto Racing All Star Challenge. Last year, Jason Hughes of Colcord, Okla., captured the win -- his second in three trips to the 1/2-mile clay oval. If Hughes can avoid the mechanical gremlins that have plagued him of late, he should be a favorite to claim his first O’Reilly USMTS feature of the season. Gates open at 5 p.m. with racing slated to begin at 7:30. Also on the racing card will be B-Modifieds and Chargers, each paying $300 to win.

On Friday, May 27, America's Premier Modified Series treks to the 3/8-mile fairgrounds oval at the Murray County Speedway in Slayton, Minn., for the Holinka Distributing Minnesota Spring Challenge. In three trips to MCS last season, Tommy Myer of Blooming Prairie, Minn. picked up two wins and is looking to gather in his first victory of 2005. Grandstand gates swing open at 5 p.m. and the first heat race is scheduled for 7:30. Also on the racing card will be USRA Stock Cars ($300 to win), USRA Hobby Stocks ($200 to win), Sportsmans ($130 to win) and Hornets ($50 to win).

The speed steamroller continues on Saturday, May 28, with a visit to the beautiful 3/8-mile high-banked clay oval at the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn. This will serve as the first of two trips to "The Creek" before the 7th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree later this season (Sept. 22-24). Pit gates open at 3 p.m., with grandstand gates opening at 4 and heat races set to begin at 6 p.m. The smart money here is on Shryock, who has six wins in 18 shows at Deer Creek. Also competing will be the WISSOTA Street Stocks and WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds, both paying $300 to win.

Sunday, May 29, will see the stars and cars of the O’Reilly USMTS invade the Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, Minn. for the Minnesota Spring Fling at the 1/3-mile clay oval. With 10 different winners in 11 visits to the Speedway, it's anybody's guess as to who will take down this year's crown. Pit gates open at 3 p.m., with grandstand gates opening at 4 and heat races set to begin at 6 p.m. Also on the racing card will be Super Stocks, Street Stocks and B-Modifieds. Turn off the television ... this is the only race you need to see on Sunday.

On Monday, the O’Reilly USMTS takes a page from major league baseball -- minus the seventh-inning stretch -- with a one-day doubleheader at two tracks in two states. At 12 Noon, hot laps begin at the Steele County Fairgrounds in Owatonna, Minn., for a $2,000-to-win special Memorial Day non-points race, along with the B-Modifieds as the support class. After the checkers wave, we load 'em up and head across the border 90 miles to the Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway for the Iowa Memorial Day Shootout. Corey Dripps of Waterloo, Iowa, and Jon Tesch of Watertown, S.D., tasted victory when the O’Reilly USMTS visited the Britt, Iowa facility April 1-2. Pit gates open at 4 p.m., grandstand gates open at 5, hot laps start at 6 and racing action kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Also on the racing card will be a non-points show for USRA B-Modifieds ($300 to win), USRA Stock Cars ($400 to win), USRA Hobby Stocks ($300 to win) and Hornets ($100 to win).

A lightning-fast field of 24 cars will start the Holley "A" Main, with a $2,000 top prize on the line for each of the six events!

A big field of cars is expected for this event, including O’Reilly National Drivers Kelly Shryock, Mike Sorensen, Brad McEwan, Jason Hughes, Corey Dripps, Jon Tesch, Tommy Myer, Al Hejna, Zack VanderBeek, Ryan Ruter, Mark Noble, Roger Hadan, Julie McDermid, Gary Clark, Mike Wedelstadt, Jason Krohn, Bruce Hanford, Scott Drake, Greg Metz, Mike Hejna, Dean Mahlstedt, Brad Bakken, Alan Mondus, Brandon Morton, Dustin Boney, Jeremy Payne, Jake Neal, Gary March, Lynn Nillson, Bub Lerette, Willy Kraft, Steve Wetzstein, Jesse Frericks, Justin Cooper, Jordy Nelson, Tommy Weder Jr., Jeff James, Matt Gilbertson, Dan Fetters, Matt McDermid, Mike Chasteen, Johnny Bone Jr., Bob Timm, Ray Guss Jr., Tim Vogt, Danny Concelman, Brian Mullen, Mike Bennett, Steve Holzkamper, Scott Mullen, David Murray, Dan Daniels, Nate Wasmund, Danny McKeighan, Sean Jerovetz, Ryan Meyer, Jay Poidinger, Jeff Schluetter, Steve Stewart, John Vandenberg, Joe McBirnie, Neil Eckhart, Mark Dotson, Brad Waits, Mark Burgtorf, Darin Duffy and Tony Fraise.

For more information, call 515-832-7944 or log on to www.USMTS.com for all the latest news and information from the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series.

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O’REILLY NATIONAL DRIVER STANDINGS:

1. 3 Kelly Shryock, Fertile, Iowa .... 949 (4 wins)

2. 19 Mike Sorensen, Rochester, Minn. .... 876

3. 26 Brad McEwan, Storm Lake, Iowa .... 873

4. 12 Jason Hughes, Colcord, Okla. .... 843

5. 31 Corey Dripps, Waterloo, Iowa .... 820 (2 wins)

6. 14 Jon Tesch, Watertown, S.D. .... 787 (1 win)

7. 65 Tommy Myer, Blooming Prairie, Minn. .... 763

8. 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa .... 653

9. 33z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa .... 648

10. 555 Ryan Ruter, Kanawha, Iowa .... 631

11. 74 Mark Noble, Blooming Prairie, Minn. .... 620

12. 4 Roger Hadan, Omaha, Neb. .... 501

13. 1m Julie McDermid, Fremont, Wis. .... 473

14. 4g Gary Clark, Walker, Mo. .... 468

15. X Mike Wedelstadt, Hortonville, Wis. .... 438

16. 7k Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn. .... 405

17. 61 Bruce Hanford, Davenport, Iowa .... 399

18. 12d Scott Drake, Webb City, Mo. .... 395

19. 29 Greg Metz, Washington, Kan. .... 360

20. 7II Mike Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa .... 357

2005 SCHEDULE:

March 11 - Junction Motor Speedway, McCool Junction, Neb. (winner: Corey Dripps)

March 12 - Junction Motor Speedway, McCool Junction, Neb. (winner: Johnny Saathoff)

March 18 - Thunderhill Speedway, Mayetta, Kan. (winner: Kelly Shryock)

March 19 - Thunderhill Speedway, Mayetta, Kan. (winner: Kelly Shryock)

April 1 - Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway, Britt, Iowa (winner: Corey Dripps)

April 2 - Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway, Britt, Iowa (winner: Jon Tesch)

April 8 - Carriker Ford Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa (winner: Kelly Shryock)

April 9 - Carriker Ford Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa (winner: Kelly Shryock)

May 14 - Lebanon I-44 Speedway, Lebanon, Mo. (winner: Chad Kinder)

May 15 - Monett Speedway, Monett, Mo. (winner: Terry Phillips)

May 26 - Park Jefferson Speedway, Jefferson, S.D.

May 27 - Murray County Speedway, Slayton, Minn.

May 28 - Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn.

May 29 - Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, Minn.

May 30 - Steele County Fairgrounds, Owatonna, Minn. (non-points, day race)

May 30 - Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway, Britt, Iowa

June 6 - Adams County Speedway, Corning, Iowa

June 7 - I-80 Speedway @ Nebraska Raceway Park, Greenwood, Neb.

June 8 - Shelby County Speedway, Harlan, Iowa

June 9 - Benton County Speedway, Vinton, Iowa

June 10 - Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway, Memphis, Mo.

June 11 - Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway, Memphis, Mo.

June 16 - Casino Speedway, Watertown, S.D.

June 17 - Dacotah Speedway, Mandan, N.D.

June 18 - Jamestown Speedway, Jamestown, N.D.

June 21 - Langlade County Speedway, Antigo, Wis.

June 22 - Thunderhill Raceway, Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

June 23 - Luxemburg Speedway, Luxemburg, Wis.

June 24 - Fox Ridge Speedway, Arcadia, Wis.

July 13 - Carriker Ford Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa

July 16 - Jackson Speedway, Jackson, Minn.

July 17 - Cresco Speedway, Cresco, Iowa

July 20 - Crawford County Speedway, Denison, Iowa

July 21 - Interstate Speedway, Jefferson, S.D.

July 22 - Murray County Speedway, Slayton, Minn.

July 23 - Upper Iowa Speedway, Decorah, Iowa

Aug. 3 - Carriker Ford Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa

Aug. 4 - Knox County Fairgrounds, Knoxville, Ill.

Aug. 5 - Quincy Raceways, Quincy, Ill.

Aug. 6 - Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway, Memphis, Mo.

Aug. 17 - Steele County Fairgrounds, Owatonna, Minn.

Aug. 18 - Highway 3 Raceway, Allison, Iowa

Aug. 19 - Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway, Britt, Iowa

Aug. 20 - Upper Iowa Speedway, Decorah, Iowa

Aug. 21 - Cresco Speedway, Cresco, Iowa

Sept. 2 - Steele County Fairgrounds, Owatonna, Minn.

Sept. 3 - Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn.

Sept. 4 - Dodge County Speedway, Kasson, Minn.

Sept. 9 - Bolivar Speedway, Bolivar, Mo.

Sept. 10 - Lebanon I-44 Speedway, Lebanon, Mo.

Sept. 11 - Monett Speedway, Monett, Mo.

Sept. 15 - Adams County Speedway, Corning, Iowa

Sept. 16 - Carriker Ford Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa

Sept. 17 - Carriker Ford Southern Iowa Speedway, Oskaloosa, Iowa

Sept. 22 - Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn. (non-points)

Sept. 23 - Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn. (non-points)

Sept. 24 - Deer Creek Speedway, Spring Valley, Minn. (non-points)

Sept. 29 - Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway, Britt, Iowa (non-points)

Sept. 30 - Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway, Britt, Iowa (non-points)

Oct. 1 - Pritchard Family Auto Stores Hancock County Speedway, Britt, Iowa (non-points)

Oct. 21 - Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway, Memphis, Mo.

Oct. 22 - Bentz GM Country Scotland County Speedway, Memphis, Mo.

SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE